The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. Concurrent with the technological expansion of networking technologies has been a consumer demand for improved wireless network based services. For example, web browsing and other web based services, short message services, email and many services capable of deployment at a mobile terminal are continuously being developed. One area in which there is a demand to provide improved mobile terminal service relates to internet protocol (IP) based real time conversations. Many means for providing mobile terminal users with an ability to conduct real time conversations are currently in existence, such as instant messaging (IM) and instant relay chat (IRC).
It is becoming more common for text-based chat to be used among particular groups of people as a means for discussion of topics, organization of events or meetings, etc. IM is an example of a text-based chat mechanism that is not generally recognized as an effective group level communication tool. Although groups may communicate via IM, such communication is generally performed via a series of person-to-person instant messages. Accordingly, for example, in order for an entire group to be informed of an event, multiple instant messages must be sent among the group members. IRC is generally considered to be more conducive to group communications. In IRC, a user logs on to a channel to communicate with other channel members in an IP-based real time environment. However, particularly in the context of group based conversations where not all members of the group are currently monitoring the channel, a problem is created in that those not monitoring the channel will miss details of the discussion. Thus, for example, if a decision is made by the group to meet at a particular location, members not currently monitoring the channel will have to be contacted by separate means. In other words, IRC and other current group based communication mechanisms that are capable of serving mobile terminal users do not support asynchronous communication. Thus, for example, a series of instant messages or other communications that are manually initiated may be necessary to inform all group members of important group related information.
In light of the problems discussed above, there is a need to provide an IP-based communication mechanism that reduces the burden on users of mobile terminals to deliver notification of events, decisions, questions, etc. to members of a group that are not currently monitoring the group's communication channel.